Apparatus for treating bronchiectasis and other ailments



July 15, 1969 A. R. RUSSELL APPARATUS TREATING BRONCHIECTASIS AND OTHER AILMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 25. 1966 x bv @w SY 9 MM 8 3 Q m? 5 mm U Q m R S July 15,1969 A. R. RUSSELL 3,455,297

AP P ARATUS FOR TREATING BRONCHIECTASIS AND OTHER AILMEN'IS Filed Oct. 25. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,455,297 APPARATUS FOR TREATING BRONCHIECTASIS AND OTHER AILMENTS Alan Reid Russell, Colwill Place, Lutwyche Road, Windsor, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Filed Oct. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 589,249 Claims priority, application Australia, Oct. 28, 1965, 65,902/ 65 Int. Cl. A61h N00 US. Cl. 12833 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A longitudinally vibrated table having an attachment for a patient and main spring loading means to move the table steadily in one direction towards a sudden stop, include secondary spring loading means controlled by a movable adjustment means to augment or diminish the force of the main spring loading means.

This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for use in the treatment of bronchiectasis and other ailments.

Bronchiectasis, being a dilation of the bronchial tubes, leads to accumulation of mucus which is particularly difficult to dislodge. The present invention has been devised with the general object of providing apparatus by means of which this may be quickly and easily accomplished. Other objects of the invention are to provide such apparatus which may be used in dislodgement of other foreign bodies, or water, for example, from the lungs.

Accordingly, the invention resides broadly in apparatus for the treatment of bronchiectasis and other ailments including a mounting frame, a table mounted in longitudinally movable manner on the mounting frame, means adapted to support a patient prone on the table against longitudinal movement relative to the table, and means for imparting such intermittent reciprocatory longitudinal movement to the table as will tend to cause ejection of foreign matter from the lungs of a patient supported prone thereon. Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

In order that a preferred embodiment of the invention may be readily understood and carried into practical effect, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is a rear end elevation of the apparatus, and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus with the table removed.

The apparatus shown in the drawings includes a base frame indicated generally at and consisting of a pair of parallel longitudinal box section members 11 which at their ends are secured to a pair of transverse tubular end members being a front member 12 and a rear member 13. The front and rear members are fitted at their ends with somewhat resilient caps 14 on which the apparatus normally rests.

A pair of normally vertical box section standards 15 have their lower ends secured between the longitudinal members 11. Each of these standards is transversely divided at the top to receive the middle part of a semielliptic spring 16, which is secured firmly in place, and which consists of two or more leaves. The two springs 16 support, in longitudinally movable manner, a table frame indicated generally at 17.

The table frame is a rectangular structure built up of angle iron and other members, and including a pair of parallel side members 18 rigidly interconnected at their ends by end members 19, and at intermediate positions by cross-members 20, 21 and 22. The ends of each of the two springs 16 are engaged in a pair of brackets 23 secured to the side members 18, in such a way that the ends of the springs are permitted a degree of slidable movement through the brackets, but are restrained against movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the brackets.

The table frame is braced by oblique stays 24 between the cross-member 22 and the rear spring brackets 23, and the oblique stays 24 are interconnected by a crossmember 25. A box-like bracket 26 is secured to the upper part of each standard 15, and the table frame 17 is restrained against lateral movement relative to the base frame 10 by guide rods 27 extending from the cross-members 21 and 25 and slidable in the said brackets 26.

The table frame 17 may be moved rearwardly, relative to the base frame 10, against the action of the springs 16, and permitted to move forwardly under the action of these springs. To reciprocate the table frame, an electric motor 28 is mounted on the base frame 10, and acts through a gear box 29 to rotate a vertical camshaft 30 on which is mounted a cam 31, which coacts with a cam follower roller 32 rotatably mounted under a bracket 33 secured in longitudinally adjustable manner to the crossmember 22. The parts are so made and arranged that the springs 16 are at all times flexed and, on the rotation of the cam 31, the table frame 17 is moved fairly slowly towards the rear, and then permitted to move rapidly forward under the action of the springs 16, and so on.

The force with which the table frame is advanced may be adjusted, and for this purpose an adjustment lever 34 is pivoted at one end to one of the side members 18, and is engaged with any selected one of a number of notches in a rack 35 on the other side member of the table frame, a handle 36 being hinged to the end of the said lever 34.

Two rubber or like bands 37 are secured to the lever 34, one being stretched to the front and made fast to an arm 38 extending from the box bracket 26 on the front standard 15, the other being stretched to the rear and secured to an L-shaped arm 39 extending from the box bracket 26 on the rear standard 15. When the adjustment lever 34 is engaged in the middle notch of the rack 35, as shown, the two bands 37 more or less counterbalance each other; but if the lever 34 is engaged in a forward notch, the rear band 37 is tensioned to augment the action of the spring 16, and if the lever is engaged in a rearward notch, the front band 37 is tensioned to diminish the effect of the effect of the springs 16.

A table 40 is mounted on the table frame 17, the table consisting of a rectangular box-like structure, open at the bottom, and upholstered and covered with a flexible material.

The adjustment lever 34 extends through a slotted plate 41 on one side of the table, and which is calibrated in accordance with the rack 35 and the increased or diminished effect obtained by advancing or retracting the lever in relation to the rack.

So that a person may be supported firmly, face down, on the table, there are provided an adjustable foot rest 42 and a pair of adjustable shoulder supports 43. The foot rest 42 is mounted on a carrier 44 slidable on a pair of guide rails 45 mounted longitudinally on the rear part of the table, and engaged by an adjustment screw 46 mounted rotatably, but restrained against longitudinal movement, between the guide rails 45. The screw may be turned by a handle 47 to cause the foot rest to be moved adjustably forwards or rearwards.

Each of the shoulder supports 43 consists of an upwardly extending bow at the front end of a metal arm 48 pivoted at its rear end to the cross member 21, and a strip 49 of flexible material connecting the ends of the metal bow. The shoulder supports extend upwardly from the table frame 17 through the sides of a face opening 50 formed through the table near to its front. A person to be treated may lie on the table face down, his feet against the foot rest 42, his shoulders against the resiliently mounted strips 49 of the shoulder supports 43, his face partly in the face opening 50, his forehead supported by the part of the table in front of this opening. A roll (not shown) of tissue 51 is mounted under the front part of the table, the tissue being brought through the opening 50 and held by a clip 52 over the part of the table supporting the patients head.

In use, the patient supported on the table, as described, may be subjected for a period to the reciprocatory movement of the apparatus, and it will be found that the rapid advance and sudden halting of the table, with each cycle, will cause mucus in the bronchial tubes, in the case of a sufferer from bronchiectasis, or foreign matter in the lungs, to be dislodged so that it may be ejected by the patient into a receptable 53 removably held by a clip 54 on the base frame 10 under the face opening 50 in the table 40.

The number of cycles to be completed for a specific treatment may be preset on a counter device 55 on a carrier 56 mounted on the base frame 10, the counter being connected in any suitable way to the operating mechanism of the apparatus so that at the completion of of the preset number of cycles the apparatus will automatically be brought to rest.

A further counter device 57 is mounted on the front part of the table, and near to it there are provided a switch 58 which the patient may operate to stop the operation of the apparatus if necessary, and a switch 59 which the patient may operate to cause an electric alarm bell 60 to ring.

To facilitate the movement of the apparatus from place to place, the front member 12 of the base frame 10 is fitted with two brackets 61, each mounting a Wheel V 62 on which apparatus may be rolled when its rear end is lifted by grasping a pair of handles 63 secured on the rear member 13 of the base frame.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for the treatment: of bronchiectasis and other ailments including a base frame, a table mounted in longitudinally movable manner on the base frame, supporting means on the table, adapted to support a patient lying prone on the table. against longitudinal movement relative to the table, main spring loading means connected between the base frame and the table to urge the table forwards, and means for sequentially retracting the table against the action of the main spring-loading means, permitting it to advance relatively rapidly under the action of the spring-loading means, and bringing it to a sudden halt; characterized in that an adjustment member is movably mounted on the table, secondary spring loading means extend forwardly and rearwardly from the adjustment member to the base frame, and means are provided for releasably holding the adjustment member in any selected position to cause' the secondary spring loading means to augment or diminish the force applied longitudinally to the table by the main springloading means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said adjustment member is a lever pivoted at one end to said table and saidsecondary spring loading means are tension springs each fixed at one end at a point on said lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,567,818 12/1925 Stebbins 128-33 2,243,013 5/1941 Morey et al 128-33 XR 2,3 05,943 12/ 1942 Weyandt.

L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 1287Q 

